Exhaust gas washing apparatus



NOV. 10, J BREMEN EXHAUST GAS WASHING APPARATUS Filed July 28, 1969 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

Jack Bremen NOV. 30, BREMEN I EXHAUST GAS WASHING APPARATUS Filed July 28, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig; 3

Jack Bremen INI/IiN'I'OK.

United States Patent m 3,538,685 EXHAUST GAS WASHING APPARATUS Jack Bremen, Pomona, Calif. (166 Lucia Lane, Huntington Beach, Calif. 92647) Filed July 28,1969, Ser. No. 845,237 Int. Cl. B01d 47/18 U.S. Cl. 55-230 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A structure defining an air passage therethrough including a first generally horizontal inlet portion and a second upstanding outlet portion. The lower end of the outlet portion defines the inlet end thereof and the outlet end of the horizontal section or portion of the passage opens upwardly into the lower end of the upstanding portion. Air pump structure is operatively associated with the passage for pumping air therethrough and the first horizontal portion of the passage includes rotary members for causing turbulence in the gas or air entering the inlet portion of the passage as well as structure operative to discharge jets of a cleaning liquid such as water into the first horizontal portion of the passage for Washing the gas and air passing therethrough. The upstanding outlet portion of the passage includes baflle means defining a tortuous path of airflow therethrough and upon which particles of the cleansing fluid used and being carried in the air or gas flow through the passage may impinge and collect for subsequent movement by gravity to a collection and/or discharge point.

The exhaust gas washing apparatus of the instant invcntion is designed primarily for use on automobiles and is operative to remove substantially all solid particles from exhaust gases passing therethrough and is further operative to appreciably cool the exhaust gases and therefore condense a large portion of the water vapor present in the hot exhaust gases. Further, the exhaust gas wash- I ing apparatus may be operatively connected to the radiator of a vehicle engine as its source of cleansing fluid and the exhaust gas Washing apparatus includes a sump for collecting the exhaust gas washing fluids from which water may be returned to the radiator, if desired.

While the exhaust gas washing apparatus is open to the ambient atmosphere and some of the water used as a cleansing liquid will be carried out of the exhaust gas washing apparatus with the exhaust gases passing therethrough, inasmuch as the exhaust gases passing through the apparatus will be appreciably reduced in temperature more than enough water is condensed out of the exhaust gases to replace the water which is carried out of the exhaust gas washing apparatus by the exhaust gases flowing therethrough.

The exhaust gas washing apparatus includes an inlet portion thereof into which the exhaust gases to be cleansed pass and in which the exhaust gases to be cleansed are subjected to fine jets of a cleansing liquid such as water and the exhaust gases and water mist or spray are swirled together and commingled by high speed rotary members. From the inlet portion of the exhaust gas washing apparatus the exhaust gases and water mist passes into the outlet portion of the apparatus which includes baflie means defining a tortuous passage therethrough and against which water particles in the airflow may impinge and collect for movement by gravity to a sump portion of the apparatus. The water jets are supplied with water under pressure from any suitable means such as the water pump of the associated internal combustion engine and the water collected in the sump of Patented Nov. 10, 1970 the exhaust gas washing apparatus may be returned either by gravity or suitable pump means to the radiator of the associated engine.

The main object of this invention is to provide an exhaust gas washing apparatus which will be operative to remove substantially all solid particles from an exhaust gas flow line.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a structure which will inherently reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases passing therethrough.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an exhaust gas washing apparatus operable to treat exhaust gases with a fine mist of water so as to cleanse the exhaust gases of solid particles entrapped therein.

A still further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide an exhaust gas washing apparatus including a liquid collecting sump in which water pumped into the exhaust gas washing apparatus may be collected together with water condensed out of the exhaust gases being Washed for return of the collected water to the water cooling system of the associated engine from which the water pumped into the exhaust gas washing apparatus is pumped.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an exhaust gas washing apparatus which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and automatic in operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exhaust gas washing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of two of the water jet nozzles of the exhaust gas washing apparatus.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the exhaust gas washing apparatus of the instant invention which includes a housing referred to in general by the reference numeral 12. The housing 12 includes opposite side walls 314 and 16 interconnected by means of front and rear walls 18 and 20 as well as a bottom wall 22 and a top wall 24.

The front Wall of the housing 12 has an inlet opening 26 formed therein and a horizontal cylindrical member 28 extends between the front and rear walls 18 and 20 and includes a reduced neck portion 30 on one end projecting outwardly through the opening 26.

The outlet end of an exhaust gas conduit or pipe 32 is telescoped over the neck portion 30 and it is to be understood that the pipe 32 conducts exhaust gases from the exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine (not shown) with which the apparatus 10 is operatively associated.

The rear wall has an opening 34 formed therethrough coaxial with the neck portion and opening 26 and the output shaft 36 of a rotary motor 38 mounted on the exterior of the rear wall 20 extends through the opening 34 and has a sleeve 40 mounted thereon. The end of the shaft 36 remote from the motor 38 is reduced in diameter as at 42 and is journaled through a support plate 44 secured in the inner end of the neck portion 30 and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 46 formed therethrough. The shaft 36 has a pair of axially spaced propeller blades 48 and 50 of oposite pitch mounted thereon and a water pickup rotary member 52 is mounted on the shaft 36 between the propeller blades 48 and 50. The propeller blades 48 and 50 and rotary member 52 are secured on the end of the shaft 36 remote from the motor 38 by means of a removable fastener 54.

The lower periphery of the cylindrical member 28 includes a drain opening 56 and the front wall 18 of the housing 12 has an outlet opening 58 formed therein toward which the lower end of an inclined plate 60 in the bottom of the housing 12 extends. An outlet trough 62 is operatively associated with the opening 58 for directing the water flowing outwardly of the housing 12 to a suitable filtering and pumping assembly (not shown) whereby water being discharged from the lower end of the housing 12 may be returned to the radiator (not shown) of the associated internal combustion engine.

The upper periphery of the cylindrical member 28 includes an outlet neck 64 on its end remote from the neck portion 30 and the outlet neck 64 opens upwardly into the upper portion of the housing 12 which has a plurality of inclined bafiles 66 and 68 formed therein. The top wall 24 of the housing 12 has an opening 70 formed therein in registry with the upper baffle 68 and a centrifugal blower assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 72 includes an inlet 74 in direct communication with the opening 70, an outlet 76 and an electric motor driven centrifugal impeller 78.

A header pipe 80 passes through the front wall 18 and terminates in a generally inverted U-shaped delivery pipe 82 communicated with a pair of opposite side water nozzles 84 supported from the cylindrical member 28 as well as an upper water nozzle 86 also supported from the cylindrical member 28. The water nozzles 84 and 86 are disposed downstream from the propeller blades 48 and 50 and the outlet or drain opening 56. However, the nozzles 84 and 86, when supplied with water under pressure, are operative to direct sprays of water upstream toward the propeller blades 48 and 50. The propeller blade 48 includes blade elements whose pitch is such that when the shaft 36 is rotated the Water is forced upstream toward the propeller blade 50. However, the blade elements of the propeller blade 50 are of the opposite pitch and tend to direct the water and exhaust gases downstream toward the propeller blade 48. Accordingly, the propeller blades 48 and 50 have no tendency to create an airflow through the cylindrical member 28 in either direction. However, the greater pressure of exhaust gases within the exhaust gas conduit 32 will tend to cause the exhaust gases to flow through the cylindrical member 28 from the neck portion 30 to the outlet neck 64. Also, the rotary impeller 78 assists in pumping the exhaust gases through the apparatus 10.

In operation, when the motor 38 is actuated and water under pressure is supplied to the header pipe 80 from the water pump of an associated internal combustion engine, jets of water are discharged from the nozzles 84 and 86 upstream in the cylindrical member 28 whereupon the jets of water are picked up by the propeller blade 48 and thrown toward the propeller blade 50. However, the propeller blade 50 is operative to direct the jets of water back toward the propeller blade 48. As the water mist within the cylindrical member 28 collects on the internal surfaces of the cylindrical member 28 and falls by gravity to the bottom of the cylindrical member 28, the water is collected in the bottom and falls by gravity through the opening 56 for discharge outwardly through the opening 58 by means of the trough 62. However, the header pipe 80 is provided with a valve 90 for adjusting the flow of water therethrough whereby there will always be some water collected in the bottom of the cylindrical member 28 for engagement and pickup by the rotary member 52. The rotary member 52 is operative to pickup any water standing in the bottom of the cylindrical member 28 and to further cause a mist or fine spray of water within the cylindrical member 28 for further washing the exhaust gases passing therethrough. Inasmuch as any excess water collecting in the bottom of the cylindrical member 28 will be picked up and turned into a fine mist by the rotary member 52 and passed outwardly of the outlet neck 64, there is no possibility of the cylindrical member 28 being fully flooded and there is accordingly no chance for water to flow upstream into the exhaust gas conduit 32. However, any excessive water mist or spray formed within the cylindrical member 28 and discharged outwardly of the outlet neck 64 will impinge upon the baffles 66 and 68 so as to collect thereon for return by gravity to the bottom of the housing 12 without passing through the restricted diameter opening 56.

In addition to the exhaust gas washing apparatus being operative to cleanse automotive exhaust gases, it can also be utilized to cleanse other gases such as exhaust gases passing up industrial chimneys and smokestacks. Further, with certain modifications, the apparatus 10 can be utilized as a humidifier for humidifying clean air, in which instance the baffles 66 and 68 may be removed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A gas Washing apparatus including means defining a generally horizontal passage including an inlet end and an outlet end portion, means operatively associated with said passage for introducing gas to be cleansed into said inlet end, driven axially spaced axial flow rotary blade means journalled in said passage for pumping gas in said passage toward each other, cleansing liquid inlet means for discharging cleansing liquid into said passage, rotary liquid pickup means disposed betwen and mounted for ro tation with said blade means and including blade portions swingable into close proximity with the lower extremity of said passage and operable to scoop up liquid standing in the lower portion of said passage and direct the scooped liquid radially inwardly for commingling with the gas in said passage between said blade assemblies.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means defining a second upstanding passage including an inlet end portion and an outlet end, said outlet end portion being communicated with and opening into said inlet end portion, said second passage including baflie means therein defining a tortuous path therethrough including upstanding surfaces against which liquid suspended in gas flowing through said second passage may impinge and collect for downward gravity flow to a collection sump.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cleansing liquid inlet means includes liquid spray jet means within said passage operative to direct jets of liquid along said passage through one of the blade assemblies toward the position of said liquid means.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said passage includes lower liquid drain means downstream in said horizontal passage from said blade means operative to drain away excess liquid collected in the lower portion of said horizontal passage.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a liquid col lection sump stationarily positioned beneath said passage for receiving liquid draining through said drain means.

6. The combination of claim 5 including means defining a second upstanding passage including an inlet end portion and an outlet end, said outlet portion being communicated with and opening into said inlet end portion, said second passage including baffle means therein defining a tortuous path therethrough including upstanding surfaces against which liquid suspended in gas flowing through said second passage may impinge and collect for downward gravity flow to said collection sump, said sump being also disposed beneath said second passage for receiving liquid collected upon said upstanding surfaces and moving downwardly therealong by gravity.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for introducing the gas comprises a pump.

8. A gas washing apparatus including means defining a generally horizontal passage including an inlet end and an outlet end portion, means operatively associated with said pasage for introducing gas to be cleansed into said inlet end, driven axially spaced axial flow rotary blade means journaled in said passage intermediate said inlet end and said outlet end portion for pumping gas in said passage toward each other, means defining a second upstanding passage including an inlet end portion and an outlet, said outlet end portion being communicated with and opening into said inlet end portion, said second passage including bafiie means therein defining a tortuous path therethrough including upstanding surfaces against which liquid suspended in gas flowing through said second passage may impinge and collect for downward gravity flow to a collection sump, and liquid spray jet means within said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,573,253 2/1926 Kujawa 403 2,339,982 1/1944 Dalton 55-247 X 2,361,076 10/1944 Agee 26192 2,937,712 5/1960 Woods 55-257 X TIM R. MILES, Primary Examiner V. GIFFORD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

